Chapter 581: . Return as a hero (1)

Book 581: The Return of the Hero (1)

"That is enough, Lin."

Lu Sheng brought the inspection of his own condition to an end.

He cracked his neck and stretched his limbs slightly, his martial physique letting out a series of faint, crackling pops.

"The specifics will still have to be tested in actual combat.

Then let us find a suitable opponent for a real fight."

Since his breakthrough, the only opponent Lu Sheng had faced was the Lord of Oblivion.

But the Lord of Oblivion was at the fourteenth level; the gap in their strength was too vast to serve as a meaningful reference.

To gain a clearer understanding of his current power, he needed to fight someone else.

Fortunately, the dream space universe was never short of powerful entities, no matter the type or the level of their strength.

"What kind of opponent should I choose to test my moves?"

Lu Sheng channeled the primordial power of the universe, unfurling a distribution map of the universe's supreme experts across the starry skies, and began to browse through it casually.

As he searched, Lu Sheng's eyes suddenly lit up.

His gaze locked onto the profile and introduction of a certain powerhouse, a gleam of light gradually igniting within his eyes.

"This one seems remarkably suitable.

Moreover, the law power he commands happens to fall within the scope of the foundational martial arts that I need to upgrade and supplement after my ascension.

"He is the one!"

Having made up his mind, a single thought flashed through Lu Sheng's mind, and in the next instant, he vanished entirely from his spot in the void.

...

The Polo Star Sector.

Upon a certain primary planet at the heart of the star sector.

A small, sleek, light-gray spacecraft touched down gently at the cosmic spaceport.

The hatch slid open, and two figures—one tall and one short—stepped out of the vessel.

The taller one was an alien, standing well over three meters tall, whose entire body, save for his eyes, appeared to be constructed from countless blocks of black granite.

Beside the stone man stood a standard human youth.

He looked to be in his twenties, with fair skin and handsome features.

Thaya gazed at the bustling yet orderly cosmic spaceport before him, watching the starships come and go, his eyes vacant.

Though a mere four cosmic months had passed from the moment he left to his return, his heart was weighed down by a profound sense of an entire lifetime having gone by.

"Is this your home star sector?"

The stone man beside him, Taunton, spoke in a low, rumbling voice.

Thaya snapped out of his daze and managed a strained smile as he replied, "Yes. My dear Taunton, on behalf of the entire Polo Star Sector, I welcome you.

Now, let us properly enjoy our retirement leave."

"I hope it is an enjoyment,"

Taunton grunted, his eyes passing over Thaya to look behind him.

Thaya froze, turning his head to follow the stone man's gaze.

He saw a procession of immaculately dressed interstellar officials and a large crowd of reporters rushing toward them at full speed.

"Hero! On behalf of all the citizens of the star sector, I warmly welcome our hero's return!"

Before even reaching them, Thaya saw a red-skinned politician of the superhuman race spreading his arms wide, approaching him with a radiant smile.

Thaya's eyes darkened slightly.

Of course he recognized this man.

In fact, probably every legal citizen of the Polo Star Sector knew him.

He was the supreme ruler of the Polo Star Sector, the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Polo Star Sector Federation.

Thaya's impression of him was deeply engraved.

He knew all too well that the brightly smiling, well-groomed man standing before him

was, beneath the surface, an unmitigated and insidious villain.

His choice to be forced into entering the alien battlefield, aside from the relentless pressure applied by those within his clan who could not wait for him to die,

had also been orchestrated in no small part by this noble Speaker Hobart behind the scenes.

Without a doubt,

Hobart must have formed some sort of cooperation with those people, likely achieved at the expense of a portion of the Lairshas family's interests.

After all, the Lairshas family's combat suit business spanned four neighboring star sectors; its value was so immense that it was hardly surprising it would entice even the Speaker of a star sector's House of Representatives.

Knowing full well that the man before him wished for nothing more than his swift demise, yet having to witness him put on an act of joy, excitement, and boundless enthusiasm to welcome him back—

Hobart's display left Thaya feeling utterly sick to his stomach.

By this time, Hobart had already stepped in front of him, reaching out with both arms to embrace him tightly.

"Welcome back, Thaya Lairshas!"

Hobart's eyes were filled with sincerity, along with a touch of fatherly pride.

With one hand resting upon Thaya's shoulder, he turned to face the crowd of Star Sector Times reporters holding their cameras and announced loudly:

"Everyone, can you believe it?

Just a few months ago, our young count from the Lairshas family actually hid the truth from everyone, boldly boarding a conscription starship bound for the alien battlefield to slaughter terrifying creatures of the foreign universe.

When I first learned of this news, I found it simply unbelievable!

But something a hundred times more unbelievable has occurred today.

Our young Count Lairshas, after enduring the baptism of war for several cosmic months, has actually managed to return alive!"

Moreover, he bears the medal of the Third Class of Merit from the fields of the Hundred Great Star Zones.

He is our hero!

Let us cheer for the name of Saya Lairthas!”

Hobert’s impromptu speech carried this modest welcoming ceremony to a fever pitch.

Countless recording devices clicked and flashed, raining down upon Saya.

It had to be said that when a master of the twelfth stage of martial arts spared no effort in directing his full cultivation toward his tongue,

The words he spoke possessed an undeniable, infectious power.

Everyone present caught the infection of Hobert’s soaring passion.

Had he not endured that long sequence of trials within the Spatial Rift battlefields, Saya thought he might truly have believed Hobert held him in genuine, fond regard.

Following the brief welcome, Hobert extended an invitation for dinner to the pair.

He explained that the City Hall had prepared a grand celebratory banquet and eagerly awaited the arrival of its guest of honor.

Saya, however, firmly declined the invitation under the pretext of urgent matters, slipping away in haste with Downton to escape the swarming reporters of the Interstellar Chronicle.

Watching the silhouettes of the two men as they fled swiftly before the pursuing press,

The amiable smile vanished from Hobert’s face, leaving it instantly grim.

“Notify the Lairthas family.”

Hobert gave the cold command to his secretary-general beside him. “Tell them that their meticulously crafted plan, the one they swore was foolproof, has failed.

Their eldest young master has returned safe and sound, a heroic veteran of the Spatial Rift.

And he has gained a twelfth-stage bodyguard by his side.

Tell them to handle this quickly; I am not responsible for wiping their backsides.”

“Understood.”

The secretary-general nodded, turning swiftly to carry out the order.

Half a cosmic hour later, Saya and Downton had already departed from the spaceport of the primary planet in the Polo Star Zone.

They materialized inside a quaint, retro-style bar on a completely different planet.

“Downton, you must never be deceived by Hobert’s appearance and words.

He is a thoroughly insidious, hypocritical villain.”

Holding a bottle of Starlight beer, Saya spoke with absolute gravity to the stone-skinned Downton.

Downton downed a massive cask of beer in great, rolling gulps, letting out a long, satisfied burp.

Wiping his mouth, he spoke in a low, resonant voice: “I never listen to a single word a politician utters.

Especially not the words they speak in front of a crowd.”

“That is well.”

Saya breathed a slight sigh of relief.

His greatest fear was that Downton might fall under Hobert’s spell.

After Lu Sheng’s departure, Saya had ultimately chosen to follow Lu Sheng’s advice and leave the Spatial Rift battlefield.

Though he still did not understand why Downton had inexplicably tagged along with him,

Saya had to admit

He was quite glad of it.

Because since leaving that battlefield, the only force he could rely upon by his side up to this moment was Downton.

“Downton is at least a twelfth-stage powerhouse; with him here, those people shouldn’t dare act rashly against me in the short term.”

Saya thought silently to himself.

Yet this safety was only temporary.

Given the influence and power of those people, they had managed to find a twelfth-stage Huangji master even within the Spatial Rift just to assassinate him.

Now that he was out of the warzone, the methods they could deploy would only multiply.

“I must! I must find a way to break this deadlock and secure myself before they can react.”

Saya told himself resolutely.

But as for how to achieve this, he was still entirely without a clue.

“Hey, pal.”

Beside him, Downton nudged Saya’s arm gently after finishing off another cask of beer, asking, “Did we come here just to drink?”

“Of course not.”

Saya shook his head. “Wait with me for someone—someone very important to me.”

At this, Saya paused, his expression turning complex as he murmured softly, “If I am also important enough to her…

She ought to come.”